Lions Stags & Dragons
by EvilGod
Summary: Jaime Lannister saves Rhaenys Targaryen from the sack of Kings Landing and takes her to Dorne. This sets up a chain of events which changes the seven kingdoms as we know it. Rhaenys Targaryen will fight to take her place as the rightful queen of the seven kingdoms. Jaime finds himself in a complicated position behind Rhaenys Targaryen while his sister becomes the queen.
1. Chapter 1

LIONS STAGS AND DRAGONS

_Prologue_

_Jaime_

Is this what everyone fought for? All the murders, wars, schemes and betrayals just to do this. It does kind of feel good, to be honest, thought Jaime Lannister as he sat on the Iron Throne with the blood of the Mad King on his sword and his body near his feet. He felt more calm and peaceful at that moment than he had been in a long time. It was all over now. He survived. His father was coming and he wouldn't let anything happen to him. He cringed at the thought of still needing his father to protect him but underneath the shining armor, he was a boy of seventeen trying to play the games of older men.

He wondered what would happen next. His father had arrived and would surely have a plan. He might get to leave the kingsgaurd. There was no reason for him to remain one anymore. He had joined it for Cersei and she was back in Casterly Rock. He had realized that he wasn't meant to serve anybody else. He was a free man now with no bounds. He wanted to get out of Kings Landing, travel the world, see the Golden Company and the Unsullied but nothing compared to how much he wanted to meet Cersei. Every day had been a misery serving under Aerys. Surely the next king wouldn't be that bad.

That made Jaime think. He thought about Viserys or Rhaegar's son Aegon as the king with his father as the hand and immediately remembered that they shared the same blood as the Mad King and he didn't want anymore Targaryens on the Iron Throne. His father would never choose a child as the King while Robert Baratheon and his men marched on the capital. No, he would choose the winning side. He then realized that this meant that Robert Baratheon would be proclaimed the new king and all those he considered a threat to his claim would be slaughtered or kept captives at best. He decided to perform one last act as a kingsgaurd and inform Princess Elia of the king's death so she could flee to Dorne with her children before the rebels arrived. So he got up and walked towards Aegon's nursery where he knew they would be.

Everywhere he looked, he saw blood. Dead servants, dead guards and when he entered the nursery he saw a dead baby and his mother. Aegon's skull had been smashed and Princess Elia lay dead on her bed probably raped before she was killed. That sight would torment his dreams for years to come. He walked out to witness Lannister men searching for Rhaenys. They couldn't find her with her mother. He had an idea where she would be and ran towards her father's chambers and saw his father's man, Lorch he believed his name was, trying to pull her out from under the bed. The princess, however, was putting up a great fight, kicking and screaming at him.

"Lorch!" he shouted and the man stopped and looked towards him. "Stop it" commanded Jaime.

"I am following your father's command, my lord," he replied.

"If you want to live, you'll leave the girl alone."

"I don't take orders from you, boy," he said with a smirk on his face and started pulling at Rhaenys again. Just as he was about to pull her out Jaime put a sword through his chest.

"Come on out princess, I'll keep you safe," said Jaime. He expected the girl to scream and push him away too but for reason, he couldn't understand she trusted him. Her mother and brother were dead. Her father was dead. She was all alone now.

She came out and looked at him with the most innocent eyes shouting help and Jaime could not bring himself to refuse her. She would be dead the minute his father arrived. He would not be able to save her from him. She reached up to him, fell in his arms and held onto him so as tightly as she could with her little arms. It was at that moment that Jaime made up his mind to bring her to safety.

_Jon Arryn_

"Dorne! He took that dragonspawn to Dorne. To those fucking snakes who still haven't bent their knee. This war isn't over till every Targaryen and those who support them are dead," Robert screamed. They were sitting in the small council chambers along with Lord Varys and Grand Maester Pycelle.

"Calm down Robert. We cannot afford another war right now. Our bannermen have just left for their homes after a long war. Now that they are home, they won't march for us again so soon. And perhaps, it won't come to a war," replied Jon Arryn.

"How will that happen?" he asked.

"Let me go to Dorne. I will negotiate peace talks with them and perhaps Prince Doran will accept our terms and bend the knee."

"They will never surrender that girl to us willingly."

"They won't but we don't need her. As long as they don't declare for her then she is not a threat."

"Do you really believe those snakes would remain loyal?" asked Robert scoffing at his mentor's plan.

"No, they might not. But if they swear an oath then that means that they don't plan to start a war in the upcoming years. And when they do we would have strengthened our position. People would have started recognizing you as their king. The houses who were loyal to the Targaryens would be with you now. They would never choose a girl against the man who defeated Rhaegar Targaryen in a battle and ended the Targaryen dynasty. Six kingdoms united under one ruler will surely defeat a single Dornish kingdom. However, if you attack now you risk losing everything."

Both Lord Varys and Grand Maester Pycelle agreed with the plan. Jon had initially thought against letting them serve Robert but they both swore an oath and so far they hadn't given him any reason to distrust them.

"Fine. Do what you want. You know more about ruling than I do."

"What do you plan on doing with Jaime Lannister, your grace? Would you accept him in your kingsgaurd? His father would sure like his heir back?" asked Varys.

"Jaime fucking Lannister will lose his fucking head if I ever see him. I declare him as an enemy of the crown. Anyone who brings me his head will get a knighthood and a 1000 gold dragons. Make it double if he is brought alive so that I can kill him myself."

"Your grace Ser Jaime is soon to be your brother by law. I don't feel it is necessary to go to such extreme measures," said Grand Maester Pycelle.

"Ser Jaime was indeed just doing his duty as a kingsgaurd, your grace," said Lord Varys.

"His duty died with the Mad King. He acted out of his own free will and chose the girl of the man who killed my Lyanna. That girl is the biggest threat to my throne with an entire kingdom at her back. If he wants to live he can take the wall like all the supporters of Mad King did but there is no way in seven hells that he goes on and lives his remaining days in his golden castle." And with that Robert marched out of the room possibly towards his whores or wine or both. Sometimes Jon wondered if they made a mistake choosing Robert as the king. He was a good man at heart but his anger often got the better of him.

"Lord Tywin would not like this," said Pycelle.

"Perhaps King Robert would change his mind once he calms down," said Varys.

"No, I don't think that would happen very soon. Robert loses his mind when it comes to the Targaryens. He robbed Stannis of Storms End even after he defended it valiantly during the rebellion just because he wasn't able to capture Viserys and his sister on Dragonstone. He can be very hard to persuade. I hope Lord Tywin doesn't take this as a slight. He would surely try and talk the King out of this. Let us see if he can succeed at what we can't."

He really hoped Robert wouldn't do anything to offend Lord Tywin because they needed his support and his gold.

_Jaime_

The heat was unbearable. Sand everywhere. The people were the worst. Everyone from the nobles to the servants looked at him with anger and disdain. Jaime Lannister hated Dorne. A blade to his throat he could not tell anyone why he ended up in Dorne. All he could remember were innocent purple eyes begging him to save her life. How could he have looked the other way? So naturally, he took her to the only place in the seven kingdoms where she could have been safe. The only problem is that now he was trapped.

When they reached Dorne, Rhaenys had clung to his side, throwing a screaming fit every time someone tried to take her away from him. He couldn't blame her. The girl had lost all her family, survived an assassination attempt and now she was in a new place among strangers and he was the only person she knew. The only person she trusted. So Prince Doran asked him to stay for a few weeks till Rhaenys got adjusted to her new home and he agreed. However, weeks turned into months and now the year was coming to an end and yet he was still here. At this point, he felt more like a hostage than a guest. Dorne still hadn't pledged loyalty to Robert Baratheon. Jaime was surprised to see that the common people in Dorne wanted war. They wanted revenge for their dead princess and her son. He had never seen such loyalty and love for their princess. If it weren't for the resistance from Prince Doran the Dornish would have rebelled a long time ago.

"Jaime Lannister, Prince Doran wants to see you," said a guard at the door staring right at his face and he nodded. No Ser, no politeness, no grace. Everyone here spoke to him like they wanted to kill him. Word had spread like fire that it was the Lannisters who had murdered their princess and her son. Everyone in Dorne wanted the Lannisters dead and yet he was right here in the middle of them. He was indeed the stupidest Lannister as his sister always liked to call him. How long had it been since he had seen her, held her in his arms, kissed her, made love to her? Now he may never get the chance again. She was getting married to Robert Baratheon. She became a Queen after all, just like she always wanted. Cersei always got what she wanted in the end.

Finally, they reached the great hall and the guard left him at the door. He walked in surprised to find a serious meeting going on. There were a lot of people present. Prince Doran was at the head of the table on one side with his brother by his side while the other side was headed by a relatively older man.

"Ser Jaime. I'm glad you could join us. This is Lord Jon Arryn, the hand of the king," said Doran pointing towards the older man sitting opposite him. Jaime wasn't surprised that Jon Arryn came to Dorne, at some point there had to be a negotiation. This feud could not last forever. Maybe he can go back to King's Landing with Lord Arryn. He could finally see his sister again.

"Dorne is pledging loyalty to the Iron Throne. We just finalized the deal. I thought I should inform you," said Doran. He could see the look of anger on Oberyn's face but to his credit, he never said a word against his brother in front of everyone.

"Well congratulations are in order I guess. My job here is done. With your permission, I'll leave for Kings Landing. Maybe I could make it in time for my sister's wedding," said Jaime and began to leave.

"You cannot," said Jon Arryn.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"King Robert wanted to declare you an enemy of the crown. After much discussion with your father, he settled for you being banished from all of the seven kingdoms except Dorne. His sense of poetic justice."

The news left Jaime shattered and devastated. The last place he wanted to remain in was Dorne. He remained still there. He didn't notice Jon Arryn and the people that came with his get up and leave. Finally, only the Martel family remained in the room with him.

"What will you do now Ser Jaime?" asked Prince Doran and Jaime had no answer. For the first time in his life, Jaime had no idea what he would do next. When he was a child he was told he would become the next Lord of Casterly Rock after his father, then he wanted to be a knight and finally a kingsgaurd for Cersei. He joined the Kingsgaurd to be with her and now she was about to become the Queen in Kings Landing while he was stuck here far away in Dorne. He remembered the look of disappointment on his father's face when he read the letter for his appointment to Kingsguard. He had wanted to make up for that, to be the son his father had always wanted. Now it seemed he could never get the chance.

"The way I see it you have two options. First, is that you leave for Essos, maybe become a sellsword and fight someone else's war or you can stay here in Dorne. You saved Rhaenys' life and for that, we will always be grateful. You will always be welcome here for as long as you want. Be one of us. Fight for a purpose. Fight to put the rightful queen on the Iron Throne. We may have bent the knee but we are not broken. We will raise our arms one day when the time is right and get Rhaenys her place on the Iron Throne and also get revenge for Elia and her son," said Doran.

"Stay here and do what? I am one person. How can I help you?"

"You are Jaime Lannister. The first son of Tywin Lannister. Nobody can change that. After your father is dead you will take his place. You will lead the Westerlands when Rhaenys sits on the throne."

"You thought that far ahead! Good job but you forgot one minor detail. Viserys Targaryen is still alive. He has a much bigger claim than Rhaenys. He is the last man with the Targaryen name," argued Jaime.

"Rhaegar's son would have had a bigger claim than Viserys. We here in Dorne do not differentiate on the basis of gender. Rhaenys has the same right as her brother. She is the rightful queen." argued Doran.

"What would you have me do?"  
"I want you to remain in Dorne and help Rhaenys grow to be a queen. I want you to swear allegiance to her and keep her safe. I want you to marry Ashara Dayne. I want you to produce heirs. And when the time comes I want you to go against your father and fight for her."

Before Jaime could say anything Doran told him to take the night to think about his answer and so Jaime turned back and move towards his chamber.

Jaime thought that Doran had gone crazy for thinking he would join him on his stupid plan. There was no way that Dorne could win against the rest of the kingdoms combined. Also, his sister was the queen, how could he ever go against her. He was surely going to say no.

His mind was almost made up when some man ran up to him and handed him a letter with his father's seal. The man told him that his father had sent him with Lord Arryn's party only to deliver a secret letter to Jaime. Jaime gave him a nod and the man left.

That night Jaime read the letter several times. He thought about his father's plan, he thought about his duty as a son. He thought about his heart's desire. The next morning he went to Prince Doran and accepted his offer.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

_15 Years Later_

_Ashara_

Ashara poured herself a glass of wine and went out to the balcony. The air of Dorne was chilly and fresh at nights and she enjoyed this feeling of cold in Dorne. The sky was clear and the moon shone brightly. It was a full moon. It was a quiet night, so quiet that she could hear the sea waves crashing at the shore. She enjoyed these peaceful quiet moments where she could just relax. All her day was spent running her household and looking after her family. There was no moment of quiet in this house during the day.

Their house was a lively place with everyone coming in and out all the time. She had her ladies in waiting who somehow had knowledge about everything that went on in the seven kingdoms no matter how trivial and they just had to share it. There were her kids who seemed to be all over the place causing havoc all over. Then there was her husband who would invite men to spar with him. He seemed to enjoy humiliating the people whom he sparred with, choosing to keep fighting and inflicting smaller blows to their bodies until they yielded instead of disarming them straight away. Then he would take a smug bow for the people who would gather to watch them leaving her with calling for maesters, servants and contacting the families of the men he beat.

She had moved here after her wedding to Jaime almost 15 years ago. They had a small wedding ceremony in Dorne with only a handful of people present. They had not wanted to make a big deal out of it because of the losses they had faced in war and because Jaime didn't want his family to know about it who did come to know about it eventually. Her marriage with Jaime began more like an arrangement, a part of the deal Jaime had made with Doran. She still remembered the day the marriage proposal came for her in Starfall. It was the most difficult time for her and her family. They had recently received the news of Arthur's death. Her best friend had been brutally murdered along with her son whom she had held in her arms. If it wasn't for the child sucking at her breasts she would have jumped from the tower long ago. She used to remain in her bed all day and the proposal was the reason she bathed and left her chambers in a long time. Her mother rejoiced at the thought of her getting married and not spending her life alone. Her father was conflicted because of the horrors committed by the Lannisters during the sack of Kings Landing but eventually decided to accept because the proposal was from Elia's brother, Prince Doran himself and because of her mother's nagging about the wealth of the Lannisters. Nobody had once asked her what she wanted or what would happen to her daughter.

Two days before their wedding, she had asked to meet with Jaime alone in the water gardens. He was hoping to find a silly girl wanting to walk around the beautiful gardens with her betrothed but was surprised to see her standing there with firm defiance in her eyes and a small child in her arms. She had told him that she would marry him only if he would allow little Jasmine to live with her. Jaime looked closely into Jasmine's cold grey eyes and nodded. She had never felt more relief in her life than at that moment. Her father had forbidden her from talking about Jasmine in front of anyone, thinking it would ruin her reputation. He had proposed to raise her as his bastard daughter but Ashara wouldn't have it. She kept her daughter close to her. She knew that people outside of Dorne frowned upon having bastards but that didn't stop her from carrying Jasmine in her arms during the feast thrown in the honor of the Hightowers, or seating Jasmine next to other high born children on their visit to Highgardern. She had heard rumors that she loved Jasmine more than her other children but she always dismissed them as the disdain of people towards bastards. She knew it in her heart that she loved all her children equally.

Jason was their first-born son. He was born a year and a half after their wedding. Jaime had initially wanted to wait a while before having kids until they got familiar with each other but Jason came as a surprise to both of them. A wonderful surprise. His birth brought Jaime and her closer than before. Jason had grown up to be just like his father. The only difference was his eyes which he got from Ashara. He was a strong man who was well trained in sword fighting. He completes his lessons with the maester without complains which surprises Jaime who believed his son would hate reading books just like him. He spent most of his time with Rhaenys. The two were almost inseparable. Rhaenys treated him like her younger brother that she lost. She said that he has the same eyes as her little Aegon.

Joanna was her second child with Jaime born four years after Jason. They had named her after his mother because he told her that she reminded him of her. She had a beautiful face with blond hair and violet haunting eyes just like Ashara. Many believed that she would grow up to be a great beauty just like her mother and aunt. Joanna, however, chose not to spend her time in her room dreaming of a high born lord but rather playing in the dirt with the sand snakes much to Jaime's horror. Her daughter had always been very outspoken and bold. She would light up every room she went in. She did not act like other high born girls. She had strong opinions and had no problems in letting them known to everyone. Jaime didn't want Joanna becoming like other Dornish girls especially Oberyn's bastard daughters. He wanted a different life for her but Joanna always told that she didn't want to be a lady of some castle. She wanted to make her own decisions. Eventually, she came to an agreement with Jaime which allowed her to keep practicing fighting and playing with the sand snakes but she was never to stay out late and had to always inform her parents of her whereabouts and always have a guard near her. She understood that her father loved her and wanted to protect her. She had always shared a special bond with Jaime and was very close to him.

Her thoughts drifted to Jaime. Her husband would be back at any moment. He was out doing only God knows what. She never understood why he chose to marry her rather than sailing for the free cities and doing whatever he wanted. He never gave her a straight answer when she asked. He had no purpose here. He was here in exile for fulfilling his duty and saving Rhaenys' life. She could see that her husband was a man of purpose. It was sad to see him wither away day by day. When the Greyjoy rebellion came, Jaime somehow convinced Doran to send his army to the Crown's aid as well and Doran had given him 1000 men. It was in those days she saw who her husband really was. He had a purpose, however small it was. She had never seen him so full of energy. When the battle was done he had brought back over 800 men and even Doran was impressed at how well he led his men. There was a feast the day he returned and Jaime was the center of attention. All the men wanted to drink with him and all the women wanted to sleep with him. She had never seen Jaime so happy before. They had the best sex that night. It was hard to tell but she believed that they conceived Joanna that night. In Dorne, his only purpose was Jason. Well, Jason and Rhaenys. He lived for them and when Joanna was born it felt like his world was complete. She only wished for her to be a part of it too.

It wasn't his fault though, was it? It was her who had asked him not to fall in love with her because she loved another man and would always do so. Then why did it hurt when he replied that he loved someone else too? Why did it hurt that he treated her like a friend with whom he shared a bed? He did exactly as she asked. He did not fall in love with her during these 15 years. Was it really his fault that she fell in love with him?

"Not thinking about jumping are you?" came Jaime's voice from behind her that startled her. Her husband was back from whatever he was doing that day.

"And leave you to live happily after I'm gone? Not a chance," she replied. She had grown used to Jaime's teasing and sarcasm. She even gave him a witty reply now more often than not.

"Where is Jason?" she asked her husband while putting her glass of wine down and bringing him his clothes as he started to undress.

"I don't know, must be out somewhere with Rhaenys," he replied while taking clothes from her.

"That girl has too much influence on him, I've told you a hundred times now. They shouldn't be spending so much time together," he said looking at her like she was forcing Jason and Rhaenys together.

"Do you want me to forbid him from seeing her? Besides she is a good girl, she is a positive influence on him. They have been friends since he was born, she is almost like a sister to him."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he said staring blankly out the window which left her confused. "It doesn't matter if she is a good girl. He should start making decisions of his own instead of following her around like her puppy. He's a Lannister. He should very much start behaving like one."

"What has gotten into you today? You're sounding like your father?" she asked noticing a change in his attitude. Jaime always treated Rhaenys like his daughter ever since they had gotten together. He was more of a father to Rhaenys than Jasmine. Her oldest daughter was still out, training with the sand snakes. She had initially wanted her daughter to stay away from Oberyn's daughters but they were the only ones who would play with Jasmine. Joanna and Jasmine didn't get along and Jason would spend all his time with Rhaenys which left Jasmine with only Oberyn's daughters to play with.

"How would you know? You've never met my father?" he asked.

"I've heard stories. Besides whose fault is it?" she countered.

"You are saying that you want to meet my father?" he asked.

"Yes, I do oddly. He is Jason and Joanna's grandfather. I think he should be in their life," she said.

"Well you got what you wish for," he replied.

"What?"

"Yes, you heard right. The Tyrells are holding a big tourney. All the major houses of the seven kingdoms are invited."

"Why?"

"Rich people don't need reasons to do stuff, Ashara. But Doran does believe that they are looking for a match for Margaery," he answered getting on the bed and pulling her down with him. He gave her a deep kiss and laid her beside him while still holding her.

"I thought Margaery was set to marry Renly Baratheon," she said resting her head on his shoulders and letting him wrap his arms around her.

"She was but now the Tyrells believe that they have leverage. The Reach separates Dorne from the Crownlands. The support of the Tyrells would be extremely vital for both sides. This is the reason why Jon Arryn was so desperately seeking a match between Renly and Margaery."

"So what has changed?" she asked.

"Well, Doran told them that having their son marry the future queen of the seven kingdoms would be a lot better than having their daughter marry the youngest brother of the King. They now want both sides there and make their proposals and sell their support to the highest bidder. The greatest tourney in history is the perfect excuse to get both sides together."

"Wow, I wish we could go. It's been so long since we've been out of Dorne. The kids would love it as well. I know Rhaenys charms everyone she meets but her trying to charm the Queen of Thorns is something I wish I could see," she said closing her eyes.

"Well then start packing," he replied and her eyes opened wide.

"We're going? What about Robert Baratheon? You're living in exile remember?" she asked.

"He's not going to try anything to the guest of House Tyrell on their land and if he does we'll deal with it. I have spent enough time here. We'll tell the kids tomorrow."

xxxxx

**Author's note:**

I'm back guys. I know it has been a while but I'm back now and will start updating regularly not only this but all my stories.

A big hug to all those who spent time to leave reviews. You guys are the best. Wish I hear from you soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Joffrey

"Slow down Joff!" shouted Robb from behind but Joffrey didn't listen. The Red Keep was now in his sights and nothing was going to stop until he got there. He had been away for 3 years now. That is 3 years of his life spent in that grey and cold wasteland that those people following behind him called home. If he was being honest with himself, they weren't as bad as their mother had described them to be. They were a simple loving family who lived their lives by a certain set of rules. The Starks were everything Joffrey's family were not.

As they reached towards the gates of the keep he could make out the welcome party. He could see his parents, his siblings, the Kingsguard, some lords, and some of the members of the small council. He looked behind to see the Hound just behind him racing his horse trying to keep up with him. The other people who came with him from the North were some way behind. Joffrey put his excitement to check and slowed down the horse so that others could catch up to him. He had to behave like the crown prince and not some random kid who runs into the arms of his mother.

He waited for Lord Stark to get ahead him which earned him a nod from the grim Warden of the north and he rode his horse just ahead of Robb Stark. With Robb were his bastard brother Jon Snow and Theon Greyjoy followed by northern guards Lord Stark brought with him. They reached the gates and he got off his horse and move towards his family.

"Ned!" his father's voice roared as he pulled his long lost friend into a hug.

"Joff!" his mother's voice caught his attention and he looked towards her to see her eyes just about to tear up. She pulled him into a fierce hug and was released only to be jumped at by Myrcella and Tommen. While hugging his siblings, he turned his head around just a little to see Lord Stark greeting the queen and then introducing his son to the King.

"You're a fine young man. You'll make a great lord one day," the King told Robb who thanked him.

"Your grace," said Joffrey as he approached his father and bend down on one knee.

"Get up boy," he replied putting his hand on Joff's shoulder.

"How have you been?"

"Fine."  
"Good," said the King, patted his shoulders, and started walking away. "Come, Ned, we have so much to talk about," and with that, he was gone leaving his heart-broken son behind. Three years Joffrey had been away from his family, he asked himself if he was crazy for asking a little more from his father.

* * *

There was a feast thrown that night and he spent the night talking and sharing stories with his mother and siblings. The next day however his mother wanted him to get a full-body checkup by Grand Maester Pycelle who spotted some of his injuries he got during his time in the North. Now here he was a boy, no a man of ten and eight getting nursed by his mother who was also the Queen of the seven kingdoms.

"Does this still hurt?"

"No mother. It just shows. They don't have the ointments as we do in the north."

"Those savages! How did you get it?"

"Took an arrow when we were battling some wildlings who made it south of the wall. The maester says that the scar will never go though."

"It will be a sign of strength. When people see it they will be reminded of the victory you achieved when you led the attack against an army of wildlings," she replied easily.

"That's not what happened. It wasn't an army, just a handful of them. And I didn't lead the attack, Lord Stark did. I just followed his commands," he replied.

"When Aerys Targaryen sat on the iron throne, your father was a rebel and a traitor. Someday, you'll sit on the throne and the truth would be whatever you make of it," she said.

"Father wants me to marry Sansa Stark," said Joffrey. "I don't want to."

Joffrey had always thought of Sansa as Robb's silly sister. Yes, she was pretty. That he couldn't deny but there were many pretty women in the seven kingdoms and Sansa Stark was the most insufferable of them all. Few minutes with her and his ears started burning. He knew his father had his mindset and once he decided something, it must happen no matter the cost.

"You will marry her anyway," she said pouring herself wine, "You'll do anything to get a pat on your back from your father."

"That is not true. I don't care what he thinks of me. I don't care what anyone thinks of me," replied Joffrey.

"So why did you go to live with the Starks? I am your mother. I know you better than you know yourself."

* * *

He had managed to sneak out of the castle with only the Hound accompanying him. He wore a dark cloak to disguise his appearance but it was of little effect as the Hound had one of the most distinctive faces in Westeros. Finally, they reached their destination and Joffrey knocked on the door of the Commander of the Night's Watch. Janos Slynt opened his door to find the Crown Prince standing at his door. He rubbed his eyes to make sure that he wasn't dreaming.

Joffrey walked in almost pushing Janos to the side without an invitation. The lady of the house came in and was shocked to see the Crown Prince standing in their home. She looked flustered for words when Joff greeted her. She left to bring some refreshments for the Prince when Lord Janos welcomed the Prince and asked the reason for his visit.

"You must have many killers, rapists, and thieves locked in your cells. Don't you Commander?" Joffrey asked as he sat on one of the chairs. He had a quality to appear in control and command in any room that he walked in.

"Of course, my prince."

"I want you to hire one of them to take care of one of the ladies in Lord Stark's household. She is one of the servants. Her name is Debra, she is a redhead and by far the prettiest woman among the ladies of the North. Your men can easily find her," he replied calmly like he was asking for a tax report.

"Take care of? Your grace," asked Janos, and Joffrey released an irritated sigh.

"Kill! you idiot," said the Hound coming to the Prince's rescue.

"Do this for me and I'll remember it when I become the King," said Joffrey offering an incentive for Janos to complete this task.

"Of course your grace, it will be done. You don't need to worry."

"Make sure your men are there to kill the killer as soon as the task is completed. I don't want the Starks to ask any questions," ordered Joffrey and began to leave when he stopped and asked, "You didn't ask me the reason I wanted her dead."

"My job is to obey your commands, my prince, not to ask questions."

* * *

Preparations were going on at full speed for their departure to Highgarden in a few days now. It was going to be the biggest tourney he had ever seen. Every lord he knew was most probably going to be there. His uncle Stannis was to stay behind to act as the acting Hand and rule in the King's place as Jon Arryn had suddenly taken ill. Highgarden was going to be packed and Uncle Stannis had every Kingsgaurd and knight he could find accompanying them. 'Those snakes cannot be trusted,' he had said.

His mother was a lot happier these days. Not only her son was back but she was also going to see her twin brother again. She had gotten a lot sadder over the years. When he was in Winterfell and trying to think of his mother, the only image he could come think of was of her sitting in a corner in a dark room and drinking. She had a good reason. Life hadn't been kind to her. His father treated her very poorly, humiliating her in front of the entire court. His grandfather didn't care about that as long as she was the queen. She only ever smiled when it was something related to him or his siblings. And Jaime Lannister. Whenever she spoke of him she couldn't stop praising him. "You will love your uncle. He isn't a drunk and whore-monger like the pathetic imp. He is the golden lion. The greatest swordsman in the seven kingdoms," she told him. "And a kingslayer probably," he replied. Suddenly, the smile went away from her face and she got the cold look he was all so familiar with. "There is no truth to those vile rumors and you should be smart enough not to repeat those," she replied and left. There was a long rumor that his uncle was the one who killed the mad king. Apparently, some servant saw him running out of the throne room with blood on his sword. When the castle was breached, they found the mad king dead. There was nobody close to him. To Joffrey, it made sense as the mad king only allowed his kingsguard near him. But those talking about the rumors and spreading it were very few as they feared his mother the queen and his grandfather.

His father on the other hand would always call Uncle Jaime a traitor and had a fit of rage when he learned that Jaime was also attending the tourney. It took a couple of hours for Jon Arryn and Uncle Stannis to make him understand that he was a guest of the Tyrells and right now they couldn't risk making the Tyrells angry considering their wealth and army. They needed the Tyrells on their side and not on the side of the Dornish. They also didn't want to upset his grandfather Tywin Lannister. He had started sitting on some of the small council meetings and was surprised to find the crown in a mess. They were 6 million gold dragons in debt half of which was to his grandfather. He scoffed at the thought of how foolish and weak his father was as a king. A king doesn't care about what others might think of his actions, he just does what he wants. His father had managed to strip the crown of its power. Things would change when he became king. He wouldn't fear his grandfather or the Tyrells. He would do whatever he wanted.

"If it hasn't happened till now, I don't think it's going to happen at all," he said to Lady Taya of House Estermont which was a minor house in the Stormlands. She took his cock out of her mouth and gave him a strange look. "Is something troubling you, my prince? You never have had this problem in all the times I have been with you."

To say something was troubling him was an understatement. He had learned the news of Debra's murder just a few hours ago. Despite being the one who gave the orders for her murder, he couldn't stop feeling guilt and remorse. Of course, she had betrayed him but that didn't stop him from thinking about her. He had slept with her on several occasions and on some he had even woken up with her still in his arms. Now all he could imagine was her dead body. He had thought long and hard before deciding that killing her was the wisest option. When he fucked her she promised him that she had been taking moon tea, which he told her to take because drinking it made sure that a woman doesn't get pregnant with a child. She had lied. She intended to get pregnant and give birth to his bastard. A royal bastard who would extort him for gold and land at best and challenge the crown of his heirs at worst. It had to been done.

From that day he decided never to fuck an unmarried or commoner again. He couldn't stop fucking women because that was the only release he could get. He often gets so much angry that he fears what he would do and the only way to control his anger was sex. So he had decided that he would fuck only married noble ladies.

"You should go, my lady," he told her started to put his cock back in his breaches when she reached out and held it again. "Are you sure your grace? I'll be a good little whore for you. Just the way you like it. I know you can't resist me," she said seductively. "Just because I have fucked you a couple of times don't presume to know what I like or don't. Now, leave. Your husband must be looking for you." His voice made it clear that there was no room for argument and she left after getting dressed.

* * *

It was the last feast before they were to leave for Highgarden. Wine was flowing, food was being served and music was being played. No expenditure had been spared. He was sitting next to Robb Stark who was telling him a tale about his direwolf that he had recently found. On returning to the capital, he had found that most of his old friends were now squiring for somebody and not in the capitol. So he had no other option but to sit next to the Stark boy whom he to his surprise had starting to call a friend.

He looked towards the high chair to see his father sitting with a serving lady on his lap. He was openly fondling her tits, while still holding on to his wine glass. He looked at his mother who had a face that didn't betray any emotion. His hatred for his father ignited even more. He returned to his meal and indulged in a conversation with Robb Stark.

Suddenly there was silence. He looked towards his father and saw him standing tall with the wine glass still in his hand. Ned Stark stood beside him. His father cleared his throat and began, "Thanks for joining us today my lords and ladies. I have bad news and good news. The bad news is that the Hand of the King Jon Arryn has become very ill and will not be able to carry on his duties. He will, therefore, be stepping down as the hand and return to Vale. I thank him for his great service to keep the kingdoms together while I drank and fucked." There was no laughter but extreme silence. This news had seemed to taken everyone by surprise.

"But don't worry my lords and ladies," he continued, "my old friend and the man whom I consider a brother to me Lord Eddard Stark, the lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North has decided to accept his position as Hand of the King." There was a round of applause.

"Did you know about this?" Joffrey asked Robb but he shook his head as to say no. He seemed surprised as well. Joffrey muttered a silent curse under his breath. Ned Stark was too naive to play the game. The man was so gullible that he thanked the City Watch for finding and killing Debra's killer so quickly. He saw his uncle Stannis sowling. Everyone including himself had assumed that Stannis would be the next hand considering he was practically running the kingdoms while Jon Arryn was sick. He had actually done a better job than Arryn his mother told him.

"There is one more announcement," said his father and he suddenly got a horrible feeling of dread. "My son and heir Joffrey will marry Lord Stark's daughter Sansa Stark and will finally join the houses of Stark and Baratheon. Their wedding will take place a few months after my brother Renly has married Margaery Tyrell."

Everybody turned to look at him and smiled, and raised their cups. Robb also looked at him but he didn't smile. At that moment Joffrey felt so much anger that he truly believed that if he had a sword in his hand then he would have killed his father.

* * *

****Author's note:****

So guys I have finally written this chapter. I was struggling a lot with it but finally decided to just post it so that I can move forward with this story. I apologize if you didn't like it. Do let me know what you think about it in the comments/reviews.

Joffrey is a very complex character to write. In my story, he isn't born of incest so he isn't as mad as he is in the books. He still is Cersei's son who has spoilt him and Robert's who hasn't been around much for him. So, it would be very interesting to play with Joffrey and completing his story arc.

Thanks for reading. See you next time.


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